Containers



J. W. THOMAS Nov. 2, 1965 CONTAINERS Filed Aug. 12, 1963 United StatesPatent "ice 3,215,330 CONTAINERS John W. Thomas, Highworth, England,assignor to The Metal Box Company Limited, London, England, a Britishcompany Filed Aug. 12, 1963, Ser. No. 301,575 Claims priority,application Great Britain, Aug. 16, 1962, 31,515/62 2 Claims. (Cl.229-14) This invention relates to containers and in particular to acollapsed carton made of cardboard or similar material and having afour-sided body of which first and second, and third and fourth, sidesare opposite sides in the set-up condition of the carton and the firstand third and the second and fourth sides overlie each other in thecollapsed condition of the carton, and first, second, third, and fourthbottom-closing flaps are hingedly connected respectively to the first,second, third and fourth sides at one of the body.

Cartons of the kind above-mentioned are usually setup filled, and closedby automatic machinery and with cartons of the kind known prior to thepresent invention it has been necessary to provide two separatesequentially operable sets of folding devices in order first to foldinwards the first and second bottom-closing flaps and then to foldinwards the third and fourth bottom-closing flaps to overlie theinfolded first and second flaps and to secure the third and fourth flapsthereto.

It is a main object of the present invention so to construct a cartonwhich includes a simple bag having a straight edged closed bottom thatthe setting-up operation by which the body is shaped to the four-sidedrectangular condition thereof causes the first and second flaps to beinfolded to a position at which the infolding thereof can be completedby the infolding of the third and fourth flaps thereby avoiding thenecessity of providing a set of folding devices specifically to effectinfolding of the first and second flaps and so reducing the cost of themachinery and easing the bottom-closing operations.

According to the invention there is provided a collapsed carton made ofcardboard or similar material and having a four-sided body of whichfirst and second, and third and fourth, sides are opposite sides in theset-up condition of the carton and the first and third and the secondand fourth sides overlie each other in the collapsed condition of thecarton, and first, second, third, and fourth bottom-closing flaps arehingedly connected respectively to the first, second, third and fourthsides at one end of the body, wherein a flattened bag made ofheatsealable liquid-impervious material has a straight edged closedbottom and lines the interior of the carton body with the closed endthereof located between said overlying bottom-closing flaps and locallyadhered to each of the first and second flaps at mid-positions adjacentthe outer edges of the flaps and to each of said first and second sidesat each of two positions disposed on opposite sides of median lines atright angles to the hinges connecting said lines with the first andsecond flaps, said mid-positions of adhesion being spaced from the hingeconnections of the first and second bottom-closing flaps, and whereinthe corners of the first and second flaps are relieved whereby duringthe setting up of the carton to the four-sided rectangular conditionthereof the midportion of the bottom of the bag is drawn into the cartonbody and the first and second flaps are drawn by the bag towards eachother between the third and fourth flaps to positions at which finalfolding of the first and second flaps can be effected by infolding ofthe third and fourth flaps.

In one embodiment of the invention the positions at 3,215,330 PatentedNov. 2, 1965 which the bag is adhered to the first and second sides areadjacent to score or crease lines connecting the first and second sideswith the third and fourth sides.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood one embodimentthereof will now be described, by way of example, with reference to theaccompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a pictorial view of a collapsed carton according to theinvention,

FIGURE 2 illustrates the bottom end of the carton following the settingup of the body thereof to the foursided rectangular condition thereof,

FIGURE 3 illustrates the fully closed bottom end of the carton, and,

FIGURE 4 is a pictorial view of the carton in the set-up, filled, andclosed condition thereof.

Referring to the drawings, the carton is made of cardboard or similarmaterial and has four-sided body of which first and second sides 1, 2and third and fourth sides 3, 4 are opposite sides in the set-upcondition, FIGURES 2 and 3, of the carton, and the first and third sides1, 3 and the second and fourth side 2, 4 overlie each other in thecollapsed condition, FIGURE 1, of the carton, this being the conditionof the carton for purposes of storage prior to filling and closing.

First, second, third and fourth bottom-closing flaps 5, 6, 7, 8 arehingedly connected, as by creases or scores 9, 10, 11, 12, respectivelyto the first, second, third, and fourth sides at one end of the body.Thus in collapsed condition flaps 5 and 6, connected to opposite sides 1and 2, are in offset relation. Similarly flaps 7 and 8 are offset. Theopposite end of the body is also provided with top closure flaps butthese form no part of the present invention and are not describedherein.

A flattened bag 13 made of heat-scalable liquid-impervious material,preferably an organic thermoplastic material such as polyethylene, linesthe interior of the carton body and has the end 14 thereof closed by aheat seal formed at right-angles to the sides of the flat bag andlocated between the overlying bottom-closing flaps 5, 7 and 6, 8. Theclosed end portion 14 of the bag is adhered locally to each of the firstand second flaps 5, 6 at mid positions 15, 16 adjacent to the outeredges 17, 18 of the flaps 5, 6 and said mid-positions of local adhesionare spaced from the hinge connections 9, 10 of the flaps 5, 6. The bagis also adhered to each of the first and second sides 1, 2 at each oftwo positions 19, 20; 21, 22 disposed on opposite sides of median linesat right angles to the hinges 9, 10 connecting the sides 1, 2 with thefirst and second flaps 5, 6.

The corners of the first and second flaps 5, 6 are relieved as at 23,24; 25, 26 to permit movement of the flaps 5, 6 between the flaps 7, 8during setting up of the carton.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention the bag is adhered to thesides 1, 2 at positions which are adjacent to score or crease linesconnecting the first and second sides 1, 2 with the third and fourthsides 3, 4.

During setting up of the carton from the collapsed condition, FIGURE 1,to the set-up condition for filling, FIGURE 2, the bottom portion of thebag, being secured to the opposite sides 1, 2 is opened from theflattened condition thereof but because the bottom 14 is closed, usuallyby a heat-seal the bottom of the bag is drawn slightly into the body ofthe carton, and the constraint exerted by the bag between the areas 15and 22, and between the areas 16 and 20 causes the flaps 5, 6 to bedrawn towards each other between the flaps 7, 8, this movement beingpermitted by reason of the relieved corners of the flaps 5, 6. When thecarton is set up as illustrated in FIGURE 2 the positions of the flaps5, 6 are such that as the flaps 7, 8 are engaged by fold- 3 ing devices,not shown, and are moved towards each other to the closed positionsthereof shown in FIGURE 3 the flaps 5, 6 are engaged by the inwardlymoving flaps 7, 8 and are moved by the flaps 7, 8 to the closedposition, FIGURE 3. a

It will be understood that as illustrated in FIGURES 2 and 3 the cartonis inverted and that during setting-up filling, and closing operationsthe position of the carton will be as illustrated in FIGURE 4, that isthe opposite of that shown in FIGURES 2 and 3.

I claim:

1. A collapsed carton unfoldable to tubular shape in open condition,comprising a body having four sides and collapsed along a diagonal sothat adjacent sides overlie each other, said sides of the body beinghingedly connected one with another and each having a correspondingbottom closing flap hingedly connected at one end, said flaps includingfirst and fourth flaps lying adjacent one another in one plane andsecond and third flaps lying adjacent one another in an overlying planewith the second flap ofiset from said first flap, a flattened liner bagwithin said body having one closed end formed by a seal entirely acrossthe bag end at right angles to the sides of the flattened bag locatedbetween the overlying bottom closing flaps, and means adhering theclosed end of said bag only to said first and second flaps and to thepair of offset body sides connected to said first and second flaps, saidadhering means being spaced from the inner edges of the said first andsecond flaps to permit whereby during the unfolding and setting up ofthe carton to open condition the bottom of the bag is drawn into thecarton body with a twisting motion and the said ofiset first and secondflaps adhered to the bag are drawn by the bag towards each other intoopposed relation and between the third and fourth flaps so that finalfolding of said third and fourth flaps can be eifected by infoldmg.

2. A collapsed carton according to claim 1 wherein said means adheringthe bag to the body comprise small area, local applications of anadherent material, at mid positions of said first and second offsetflaps adjacent to the free edges thereof opposite to and spaced fromtheir hinge connections, and to said pair of offset sides connected tosaid first and second flaps at each of two positions disposed onopposite sides of median lines at right angles to the hinge connectionsbetween said offset sides and the bottom closing flaps hinged thereto,said first and second flaps to which the bag is adhered beingrectangular in shape with relieved corners in the regions of said freeedges.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,099,257 11/37Bergstein 229-14 2,879,933 3/59 Bergstein et a1. 229l4 JOSEPH R.LECLAIR, Primary Examiner.

twisting of the liner bag when the carton is unfolded, FRANKLIN T.GARRETT, Examiner.

1. A COLLAPSED CARTON UNFOLDABLE TO TUBULAR SHAPE IN OPEN CONDITION,COMPRISING A BODY HAVING FOUR SIDES AND COLLAPSED ALONG A DIAGONAL SOTHAT ADJACENT SIDES OVERLIE EACH OTHER, SAID SIDES OF THE BODY BEINGHINGEDLY CONNECTED ONE WITH ANOTHER AND EACH HAVING A CORRESPONDINGBOTTOM CLOSING FLAP HINGEDLY CONNECTED AT ONE END, SAID FLAPS INCLUDINGFIRST AND FOURTH FLAPS LYING ADJACENT ONE ANOTHER IN ONE PLANE ANDSECOND AND THIRD FLAPS LYING ADJACENT ONE ANOTHER IN AN OVERLYING PLANEWITH THE SECOND FLAP OFFSET FROM SAID FIRST FLAP, A FLATTENED LINER BAGWITHIN SAID BODY HAVING ONE CLOSED END FORMED BY A SEAL ENTIRELY ACROSSTHE BAG END AT RIGHT ANGLES TO THE SIDES OF THE FLATTENED BAG LOCATEDBETWEEN THE OVERLYING BOTTOM CLOSING FLAPS, AND MEANS ADHERING THECLOSED END OF SAID BAY ONLY TO SAID FIRST AND SECOND FLAPS AND TO THEPAIR OF OFFSET BODY SIDES CONNECTED TO SAID FIRST AND SECOND FLAPS, SAIDADHERING MEANS BEING SPACED FROM THE INNER EDGES OF THE SAID FIRST ANDSECOND FLAPS TO PERMIT TWISTING OF THE LINER BAG WHEN THE CARTON ISUNFOLDED, WHEREBY DURING THE UNFOLDING AND SETTING UP OF THE CARTON TOOPEN CONDITION THE BOTTOM OF THE BAG IS DRAWN INTO THE CARTON BODY WITHA TWISTING MOTION AND THE SAID OFFSET FIRST AND SECOND FLAPS ADHERED TOTHE BAG ARE DRAWN BY THE BAG TOWARDS EACH OTHER INTO OPPOSED RELATIONAND BETWEEN THE THIRD AND FOURTH FLAPS SO THAT FINAL FOLDING OF SAIDTHIRD AND FOURTH FLAPS CAN BE EFFECTED BY INFOLDING.